Novel Color Transparency Effect: Scanning the Wave Function of Vector Mesons

Abstract

We demonstrate how the virtual photoproduction of vector mesons on nuclei scans the wave function of vector mesons from the large non-perturbative transverse size $\rho \sim R_{V}$ down to the small perturbative size $\rho \sim 1/\sqrt{Q^{2}}$. Thee mechanism of scanning is based on color transparency and QCD predicted spatial wave function of quark-antiquark fluctuations of virtual photons. A rich, energy- and $Q^{2}$-dependent, pattern of the nuclear shadowing and antishadowing is predicted, which can be tested at the European Electron Facility and SLAC.